The World of Arathine
Arathine... the smallest of three landmasses. But don't let that fool you, traveler - it is a land to be respected. It's people are cunning, hard, brutal and mysterious. The creatures that dwell in it's shadowy lands are vile and dangerous beyond reckoning. With power enough to grind even the most seasoned warrior to dust. But Arathine has more than it's share of wonders as well. Some so incomprehensible that even the keenest minds can only guess at their true purpose. And the people... what can I say about them that isn't already known? Shall I tell you of Abercia and the silver city? It's honorable King and wise Council of Mages? Perhaps you wish to learn of Cilestra and it's Learned City? A place utterly dedicated to knowledge, where no topic is taboo and knowledge is the ultimate power. No? Shall I speak of the vast the Elucian Wilds and the history of an empire brought to ruin. It's once united land now nothing more than warring tribes ruled by the squabbling descendants of a once great royal house. Arathine has it all, my friends... the strange and nomadic Gan, whose massive caravan city boasts anything an adventurer could ever want. The barbaric Nosi and Kragar, two hard lands locked in an unending war. The Kingdom of Vohelm - the militaristic human kingdom that borders the dead lands of Stokor. Stokor... I warn you never to go there adventurer. Even the most powerful tread lightly upon that dead earth. For the creatures that call Stokor home worship the Dark Lord Mor-Vollen who is rumored to be at rest somewhere beneath the mountain that bears his name. If those rumors should prove true... if Mor-Vollen should one day rise again, then all that is good and decent in the world will fall into darkness. Ah, but I am lost in my own thoughts, am I not? You were wondering about Arathine. Well, I have told you the generalities of the land... but details are best experienced in person. Just be wary, traveler... for danger lurks in unexpected places. Sincerely Yours, Charon the Traveler Introduction Welcome to the world of Farnor! This wiki is designed to guide you through the races, cultures and kingdoms that make up this fantastic fantasy setting. Don't worry if this seems overwhelming. You don't need to know everything to play in this world. Here I will cover some of the basics of the world and leave the rest a mystery to be uncovered by you the player. For this first campaign, the party will be adventuring on the continent of Arathine, the southern most continent in the world of Farnor. Arathine is considered a single continent but is, in fact, divided into two prominent landmasses. The Continent of Arathine Arathine received it's name from the empire that once dominated the continent thousand of years before. During that golden age, the four great houses of the empire were united under a single ruler - Emperor Tor Braegar (bray-eh-gar). For generations the empire grew in prosperity and wealth... until the Goblin War. The details of that horrible war have been lost to the annals of time. Now, 3,000 years later, the empire is no more. Now, in its place there are four kingdoms born from the four great houses that once united under Emperor Braegar. As with any other large landmass, Arathine hosts a wide range of climates, though the temperature and environment grows warmer and less hospitable as you travel southeast. In the southeast of the continent, one can find Mor-Vollen, a large mountain range dominated by a black spire of rock. Mor-Vollen is a hard land which is home to untold horrors. It was from Mor-Vollen that the armies of the Goblin King poured so many years ago. Today, no one ventures into the mountains. Those foolish enough to try never return. Races When the Braegarian Empire still stood more than humans called Arathine home. From their mountain strongholds, dwarves could be found crafting in workshops seldom seen by human eyes. Elves, too, could be found in the deepest parts of the forest in secluded buildings that could never be found except by those who knew how to look. But the destruction of the Goblin War decimated both the gentle elves and the stalwart dwarves. Now, 3,000 years later their own kingdoms are no longer open to humans. Few now live on Arathine, and no human has set foot inside their hidden kingdoms in well over a thousand years. It is said that the Golden Age of Arathine has long since died. That the lost harmony of the races somehow weakened the world itself and that Arathine itself is doomed do die unless balance can be restored. Kingdoms of Arathine Then came the horrors of the Goblin War. From the bowels of Mor-Vollen a tidal horde of goblinoids crashed over the Arathinian Empire like a great tidal surge. The empire was rocked to it's very foundation and only just staved off the black armies of the Goblin War Machine. Victory over the Goblin scourge was found, though at a terrible price. The armies of the Arathianian Empire were shattered and it's holdings plagued with famine and destitution. After decades of struggle, the empire suffered a loss that proved to be its end. Emperor Salazar grew ill and died. It was the that the empire disintegrated as the four great houses - House America, House Cilestra, House Elucia, and House Vohelm fought for control. The resulting civil war tore the empire apart and gave birth to four new kingdoms. Kingdom of Aberica The kingdom of Abercia, which hold the original imperial city of Tor, occupies the western portion of the continent of Arathine. It’s holdings extend to the border of the River Arath and run both north and south to the sea. Abercia also possesses a small island chain to the south. The capital of Abercia is Aberras, sits where the original Imperial City of Tor once stood. The city lies at the center of the largest inlet on the western coast of Arathine. It is a sprawling city and major trade hub. It’s harbors see hundreds of ships enter and exit each day. Goods brought into the Harbor of Aberras are sold in the city markets, and transported to surrounding villages and towns. Abercia is ruled by King Silas Ebra IV, the first son of King Silas Ebra III. King Ebra IV is a man of 60 years. He is clean shaven with close cropped gray hair flecked with white. He is a just and noble ruler who legitimately cares for his people. King Ebra IV is liked by his people, who believe in his rule and support his house. Kingdom of Cilestra The kingdom of Cilestra occupies the eastern continent of Arathine. Within its borders, knowledge is the ultimate currency and books are the most treasured possessions. It’s capital city is known by many names. Some call it the Learned City, others the City of Deneir while others simply refer to it as the City of Books, for it boasts the largest library in all of Arathine. Scholars from all over the continent vie for the opportunity to visit the immense repository of lore. However, the city’s proper name is Lorim and it is ruled by the Mage King Dion Lorekeeper. King Lorekeeper presides over the “All Knowing Kingdom”, as he likes to refer to it, and is considered by many to possess one of the keenest minds in all of Arathine. He is a calculating and unreadable man, with severe expressions and surveying eyes. Dion Chytas is an elder at 65 years of age, still his will is strong and he rules over Cilestra through a mixture of cool reasoning and lengthy debate. Kingdom of Elucia The kingdom of Elucia lies to the south and it’s holdings include everything beyond the Mor-Vollen mountain range. During the Goblin War, Elucia suffered horrible losses as the goblin armies that poured out of Mor-Vollen. If not for the aid of Abercia and Cilestra, the kingdom would have been utterly destroyed. Now, 3000 years later, Elucia’s former splendor is all but restored. However, whereas in ages past Elucia boasted strong personal freedoms and justice, now it is ruled under the military. It’s current ruler, Lucian Stormweaver, commands the largest army in all of Arathine. He is determined that his kingdom will never again suffer the horrible losses it did so long ago. To that end, he has grown the Elucian military to be its largest in history. The citadel that guards the caverns of Mor-Vollen is considered to be the most heavily defended and fortified city in all of Arathine, with countless magical glyphs, traps, and other arcane defensive systems surrounding the city and the entrance to Mor-Vollen, which itself, is sealed by a magical barrier. Kingdom of Vohelm Far to the north beyond the main landmass of Arathine, lies the island kingdom of Vohelm. Here, in the city of Gond, King Giln Vorhesh presides over a people hardened from life in this inhospitable land. High above the ocean, built into the mountain itself, lies the city of Gond. Built from the mountain itself by Dwarves 5,000 years ago, Gond is a citadel unlike any other. It is said that the city runs deep into the mountain itself and that the citadel is impregnable. During the Goblin War, Vohelm was left untouched and has remained nearly as it was 3,000 years ago. When the Empire of Arathine fell, Vohelm largely severed contact with the other three houses. Beyond trade with the other kingdoms of Arathine, which Vohelm relies on to feed its people, there has been little communication. Today, Vohelm maintains a cool peace with the other kingdoms of Arathine, but does not engage in the continental politics of Arathine.